David and Tina Paquette, who have served as Hooksett Historical Society officers for the past 10 years, will not hold a position with the group for the upcoming calendar year.

Tina Paquette, current president of the society, explained to the membership – both new and old – that she and her husband, the treasurer of the club, had not convened meetings during the past year because family health issues prevented them from focusing their energy elsewhere.

David Paquette was nominated by his wife to serve as the 2009 treasurer for the society, but he declined the offer, stating it was time to have new volunteers take the reins. “When you have volunteers, use them,” Paquette said. “That’s what we need: fresh blood. I don’t want to see the Historical Society go down, and one person can only volunteer so much.”

The Paquettes’ management of the Historical Society’s membership has come under scrutiny by Hooksett Town Council members since David Paquette gave a brief presentation at a meeting more than two weeks ago. He explained to the Town Council that although the Historical Society had not held meetings in the past 12 months, he and his wife had made discretionary purchases for the society, totaling $482.

Among items bought were a $150 digital video camera and nearly $300 worth of picture frames from Kohl’s. The money came out of the Historical Society’s annual budget of $2,090. Kathie Northrup, a Historical Society member, said she believes the club is on the right track and that the long hiatus was the real cause for concern among Town Council members and the public.

“It’s hard to stimulate interest when they aren’t holding meetings, when they called a hiatus,” Northrup said. She added that she thought that the Paquettes have contributed much toward the growth of the society in past years and she does not want the recent criticism to overshadow their hard work.

“I don’t want the work they have done to go unrecognized,” she said.

George Longfellow, a Hooksett Town Council member, attended the Historical Society meeting Thursday night and said he feels the group is now moving in the right direction. “We’re trying to get it alive again,” Longfellow said.